By Ismail Bategeka
www.mknewslink.com
In Kampala—
The Minister of Works and Transport, Mr. Fred Byamukama, has ordered the immediate eviction of people occupying Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land and the demolition of unauthorized structures on railway reserves across the country.
The directive is likely to affect thousands of families and businesses operating on railway land along the Malaba-Kampala-Kasese corridor and other railway routes.
In a letter dated September 29, 2026, Mr. Byamukama instructed the managing director of URC to immediately evict all encroachers and demolish structures erected on railway reserves countrywide.
The minister said the directive followed concerns raised by President Museveni during the 10th Cabinet meeting over the failure to protect railway land.
“The Meter Gauge Railway corridor was surveyed even before the 1980s, and by now a lot of people have encroached on its land” Mr Byamukama said in a telephone interview with MK news link reporter.
Mr. Byamukama added that the continued occupation of railway reserves was now affecting rehabilitation works, prompting the government to move to recover the land.
The order comes as the government increases investment in railway rehabilitation, with authorities seeking to restore the transport network and protect land reserved for railway operations.
The affected areas include railway stations and corridors along routes connecting Kampala to Malaba, Port Bell and Kasese, among others.
Although the Meter Gauge Railway corridor was surveyed before the 1980s, encroachment has continued over the years, with homes, businesses and other structures established on land reserved for railway infrastructure.
Mr Byamukama attributed the situation partly to weaknesses among technical officials who were expected to safeguard the corporation’s property.
According to the Minister, the government is now seeking to reverse the trend by directing URC to reclaim the land needed for railway operations and rehabilitation.
Mr Byamukama ordered that no more URC land should be leased for private investment as the government injects additional funds into railway rehabilitation. The minister’s letter states that the government wants railway land protected as resources are committed to restoring the network.
The directive signals a move towards safeguarding railway property for its intended purpose rather than allowing further private developments on the land.
Mr. John Linon Ssengendo, the Uganda railways cooperation spokesperson, said the exercise was a major step towards restoring railway infrastructure and improving the country’s transport network.
Mr Ssengendo said the operation would support the government’s National Development Agenda and regional transport integration by ensuring that railway land is available for rehabilitation and modernization works.
“We shall do these operations across the country for two months, but we call upon all those settling on URC illegally across the country to vacate, so that when we come we will not demolish your property,” Mr Ssengendo said.
Mr. Ssengendo adds that the operation is expected to affect homes, shops and other structures established on land reserved for railway operations. However, URC has not specified the total number of people or businesses likely to be affected.
According to Mr. Ssengendo, the exercise will cover railway land situated at stations and along railway corridors in different parts of the country.
The targeted routes include Kampala-Malaba, which connects the capital to the eastern border with Kenya, Kampala-Port Bell and Kampala-Kasese.
The corporation also intends to conduct operations in other areas where its land has been occupied illegally.
Railway reserves are essential for the construction, maintenance and expansion of railway infrastructure. Encroachment can restrict access to tracks and stations and complicate planned rehabilitation works.
By reclaiming the land, URC aims to ensure that railway facilities can be restored and developed to support the movement of goods and passengers.
The corporation has not released a detailed schedule showing when enforcement teams will reach specific locations during the two-month operation.
Mr Ssengendo’s appeal for voluntary departure suggests that URC wants occupants to remove their property before enforcement teams arrive, reducing the likelihood of structures being demolished during the operation.
The corporation has warned that structures remaining on railway land when the teams arrive could be demolished. URC says the operation is part of broader efforts to revitalize, rehabilitate and modernize railway transport.
Improved railway infrastructure is expected to strengthen transport links and contribute to regional integration, particularly by facilitating the movement of goods between Uganda and neighboring countries.
The Kampala-Malaba corridor is particularly important because it links Uganda to Kenya and wider regional trade routes.
